Brown Hen Porcelain Limoges Box

A brown hen settles in on this porcelain box, plump and content, as if she has just laid the morning's eggs. She was painted by hand in Limoges, France, as a Limoges box.

Queen of the Henhouse

Hens have long been a symbol of home, plenty and the French countryside, where the rooster and hen appear on everything from pottery to kitchen linens. This brown hen carries that farmhouse charm into porcelain, with each feather tone painted by hand so no two look quite alike.

The Barnyard Shelf

• Hand-painted porcelain from Limoges, France
• Pairs with rooster, egg basket and cow pieces in a farm grouping
• Fits a country kitchen or French farmhouse theme

Fresh From the Coop

This makes a warm present for a backyard chicken keeper, a farm family, a cook who swears by fresh eggs, or a friend with a country cottage. It also suits Easter, a spring housewarming, or a thank-you for the neighbor who shares eggs from the coop.

Set it on a kitchen windowsill, an open shelf beside stoneware, or a hutch among other farmhouse pieces. Bird and farm collectors often pair a hen with a rooster for a matched set on the shelf. Because each hen is painted by hand, the shading of her feathers is unique to her.